So what’s wrong with the Celtics?
After all the questions this past off-season about how this team of assorted parts would play, half the season is now over and what we have is a two game below .500 club. Is this what we should expect from them for the rest of the season?Even though no one really knew what would happen to this once-proud franchise, it’s hard to look at their record thus far and not consider it a disappointment. While they have had some big wins (Portland, Seattle, LA Clippers), the season thus far has been marked by far more disappointments (a depleted Pacers team, Golden State, Atlanta, New Jersey and a Shaq-less Heat come to mind). The C’s seem to have licked their disturbing habit of giving up huge fourth quarter leads that plagued them in nearly every game at the start of the season, but they still do not have much composure in crunch time. That’s to be expected with a team of young players like the Celtics, but it’s the veterans that are in the game at the end, and they’ve looked more clueless than the rookies at times.
Captain Paul Pierce, while raising his overall offensive game, has not been the fourth-quarter force that made him a household name in the NBA. He’s resisted the running game that Coach Doc Rivers has implemented to the offense and was even benched for a short time in a game against Milwaukee for refusing to run the floor. Defense is where the Truth seems to have fallen the furthest. Pierce, a capable defender in the past, frequently misses assignments and appears to take plays off from time to time. Even though Pierce has played well for most of the season, given his talent level and the fact that he is supposed to be a team leader, one cannot be particularly satisfied with #34.
The rest of the starters have been spotty, with the exception of Gary Payton. The Glove became the team leader the moment he stepped off the plane to Boston. He has been the Celtics first legitimate point guard since, well, probably Sherman Douglas and has been a steadying influence for a team with so many young players. The fact that Raef LaFrentz has played in all but one game has been a pleasant surprise and his play, while not as impressive as it had been before he injured his right knee, has been reliable on most nights.
One the other side is the uninspiring play of Mark Blount and, to a lesser extent, Jiri Welsch. After signing a six year, $38 million contract, much was expected of the team’s breakout player from last year. His rebounding and defense have been lacking and to the outside eye it looks like he’s not even working all that hard. Welsch, a victim of a numbers crunch at the shooting guard and small forward positions that he frequents, has not shown that he deserves to be in the game ahead of Pierce, Ricky Davis or Tony Allen. After an admirable first year in Boston, Welsch’s game seems to have dropped off a bit.
Let’s skip right to the aforementioned rookies because they represent the best part of this season for the Celtics. First and foremost is Al Jefferson, the 20-year old from Prentiss, Mississippi. After years of watching Antoine Walker play the power forward position from the perimeter, it’s a breath of fresh air to see Jefferson set up in the paint and stay there for the duration of his time on the court. He has an array of post moves, can rebound and he has overcome some of his defensive lapses thus far by displaying an ability to block the occasional shot. To this point he is averaging just a shade over 16 minutes a game, but he is going to have to miss some time with a sprained ankle.
Allen, a product of Eddie Sutton of Oklahoma State has also turned heads with his play. Initially, Rivers had been using Allen to energize the reserves, but after 38 games, he inserted Allen into the starting lineup in the hope that he would bring that energy to the starters. Allen responded immediately, scoring a career high 20 points in his first start against Atlanta. Allen is the Celtics’ best perimeter defender and seems to have at least one show-stopping play per game. If Allen is able to develop a consistent outside shot, his minutes will swell quickly.
The other young players on the green have been largely inconsistent. Second year point guard Marcus Banks has shown a few flashes of what Celtics’ Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge envisioned upon drafting him in 2003, but he has yet to put together consecutive games in which he played well. Although he has been able to get to the basket, his playmaking and floor vision have been lacking. Rookie Delonte West has been hurt almost the entire year and thus has not been able to help solidify the position. Kendrick Perkins, the second-year center out of Texas has a knack for defense and shot-blocking, but has yet to see enough time on the floor for anyone to know anything substantial about his game.
Of course the one player we are flatly ignoring is the mercurial Davis. Since being taken out of the starting lineup early in the season, Davis has been a breath of fresh air for the C’s. He has been on his best behavior and on the court, his play has been exactly what the Celtics were looking for from a sixth man. He is averaging almost fifteen points a game, shoots at a high percentage (45.6%) and provides a spark to the team when the offense stagnates. He has even spelled Payton for short periods of time at the point, something that is a huge boost considering Banks’ trouble manning the position.
So with all this talent, why don’t the Celtics have a higher number in the win column? As much as it would seem fair to blame the team’s woes on Blount, Banks or Jiri, the sad truth is that the responsibility falls mainly to Pierce, even if it’s not entirely his fault. Rivers has tried to introduce a running game and Pierce is a half-court player. The Celtics cannot have it both ways. They have to commit to either running or half-court sets, and given that Pierce has not adjusted to this point, one has to wonder if he ever will.
For this reason, don’t be surprised if a major blockbuster trade is made before the February 24th deadline that sends Pierce out of town. Chances are, I’m not the only one to notice this little inconsistency with the Celtics and Ainge will be faced with a choice: Revamp his entire roster or get rid of one player. Which one do you think sounds easier?